Three aid workers with the Sudanese Red Crescent were killed in the war-torn Blue Nile state on Sunday. At the time of the publishing it is still unclear who is responsible for the attack. The UNHCR in Sudan strongly condemned the killing of the aid workers.

The three Sudanese Red Crescent Society aid workers were killed in Blue Nile state while returning from the town of Kurmuk after finishing a task "related to the distribution of humanitarian aid in the region," according to a statement by Ahmed Mohamed Adam, head of the Sudanese Humanitarian Affairs Commission.

He did not say how they were killed but alluded to armed movements in the region in an apparent reference to the rebels there. Kurmuk lies south of Ed Damazin, on Sudan's southeastern border with Ethiopia.

 "The commission condemns targeting the aid workers and calls on the armed movements to respect international humanitarian law and the principle of the protection of aid workers," Adam added.

The rebels from the Sudan People's Liberation Movement-North (SPLM-N) who operate in the region said they did not have any information on the incident.

Condolences

The UN Resident and Humanitarian Coordinator a.i. in Sudan, Adnan Khan, strongly condemned the attack. He added that the staff were part of a team monitoring the distribution of food assistance provided by the UN in Kurmuk locality.

“My deepest condolences go to the family and friends of those killed,” said Khan in a press release. “I wish quick recovery for the injured staff member of SRCS."

“Attacks on clearly marked humanitarian aid vehicles jeopardise the delivery of relief assistance and constitute a violation of the International Humanitarian Law,” Khan concluded.

The International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies (IFRC) is the world's largest humanitarian network.

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